4.15. The state of this Iland vnder Marius the sonne of Aruiragus, the comming in of the Picts with Roderike their king, his death in the field, the Picts and Scots enter into mutuall aliance, the mo|nument of Marius, his victorie ouer the Picts, his death and interrement. The xv. Chapter.

The state of this Iland vnder Marius the sonne of Aruiragus, the comming in of the Picts with Roderike their king, his death in the field, the Picts and Scots enter into mutuall aliance, the mo|nument of Marius, his victorie ouer the Picts, his death and interrement. The xv. Chapter.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 _AFter the decease of Aruiragus,Marius. his sonne Marius succeeded him in the estate,Hector Bo [...]|tius saith that this Marius was a Ro|mane. 73. and began his reigne in the yeare of our Lord 73. In the old English chronicle he is fondlie called Westmer, & was a verie wise man, gouerning the EEBO page image 47 Britains in great prosperitie, honour and wealth.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 2 In the time of this mans reigne, the people called Picts inuaded this land,Of these you maie reade more in pag. 9. who are iudged to be des|cended of the nation of the Scithians, neare knis|men to the Goths, both by countrie and maners, a cruell kind of men and much giuen to the warres. This people with their ringleader Roderike,Matth. West. or (as some name him) Londorike, entering the Ocean sea after the maner of rouers, arriued on the coasts of Ireland, where they required of the Scots new seats to inhabit in: for the Scots which (as some thinke) were also descended of the Scithians, did as then inhabit in Ireland: but doubting that it should not be for their profit to receiue so warlike a nation into that Ile, feining as it were a friendship, and ex|cusing the matter by the narrownesse of the coun|trie, declared to the Picts, that the Ile of Britaine was not farre from thence, being a large countrie and a plentifull, and not greatly inhabited: wherefore they counselled them to go thither, promising vnto them all the aid that might be.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 The Picts more desirous of spoile than of rule or gouernment, without delaie returned to the sea, and sailed towards Britaine, where being arriued, they first inuaded the north parts thereof, and finding there but few inhabiters, they began to wast and for|rey the countrie: whereof when king Marius was aduertised, with all speed he assembled his people, and made towards his enimies, and giuing them bat|tell, obteined the victorie,Roderike king of Picts slaine. so that Roderike was there slaine in the field, and his people vanquished.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 2 Unto those that escaped with life, Marius gran|ted licence that they might inhabit in the north part of Scotland called Catnesse, being as then a coun|trie in maner desolate without habitation: wherevp|on they withdrew thither, and setled themselues in those parties. And bicause the Britains disdained to grant vnto them their daughters in mariage, they sent vnto the Scots into Ireland, requiring to haue wiues of their nation. The Scots agréed to their re|quest, with this condition, that where there wanted lawfull issue of the kings linage to succéed in the kingdome of the Picts, then should they name one of the womans side to be their king: which ordinance was receiued and obserued euer after amongst the Picts, so long as their kingdome endured.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 2 Thus the Picts next after the Romans were the first of anie strangers that came into this land to in|habit as most writers affirme, although the Scotish chronicles auouch the Picts to be inhabiters here be|fore the incarnation of our sauiour.Polydor. Matth. West. But the victorie which Marius obteined against their king Roderike, chanced in the yéere after the incarnation 87. In re|membrance of which victorie, Marius caused a stone to be erected in the same place where the battell was fought, in which stone was grauen these words, Marij victoria. The English chronicle saith that this stone was set vp on Stanesmoore, and that the whole coun|trie thereabout taking name of this Marius, was Westmaria, now called Westmerland.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 2 3 King Marius hauing thus subdued his enimies, and escaped the danger of their dreadfull inuasion, gaue his mind to the good gouernement of his peo|ple, and the aduancement of the common wealth of the realme, continuing the residue of his life in great tranquillitie, and finallie departed this life, after he had reigned (as most writers say) 52, or 53 yeeres. Howbeit there be that write, Matt. West. Thus find we in the British and English histories tou|ching this Marius. that he died in the yéere of our Lord 78, and so reigned not past fiue or six yéeres at the most. He was buried at Caerleill, lea|uing a sonne behind him called Coill.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 Humfrey Lhoyd séemeth to take this man and his father Aruiragus to be all one person, whether moo|ued thereto by some catalog of kings which he saw, or otherwise, I cannot affirme: but speaking of the time when the Picts and Scots should first come to settle themselues in this land, he hath these words; Neither was there anie writers of name, that made menti|on either of Scots or Picts before Uespasianus time, about the yeere of the incarnation 72: at what time Meurig or Maw, or Aruiragus reigned in Bri|taine, in which time our annales doo report, that a certeine kind of people liuing by pirasie and rouing on the sea, came foorth of Sueden, or Norwaie, vnder the guiding of one Rhithercus, who landed in Alba|nia, wasting all the countrie with robbing and spoi|ling so farre as Caerleill, where he was vanquished in battell, and slaine by Muragus, with a great part of his people; the residue that escaped by flight, fled to their ships, and so conueied themselues into the Iles of Orkney and Scotland, where they abode quietlie a great while after.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 2 Thus farre haue I thought good to shew of the foresaid Lhoyds booke, for that it seemeth to carie a great likelihood of truth with it, for the historie of the Picts, which vndoubtedlie I thinke were not as yet inhabiting in Britaine, but rather first placing themselues in the Iles of Orkney, made inuasion into the maine Ile of Britaine afterwards, as occa|sion was offred. In the British toong they are called Pightiaid, that is Pightians, and so likewise were they called in the Scotish, and in their owne toong. Now will we shew what chanced in this Ile, during the time of the foresaid Marius his supposed reigne, as is found in the Romane histories.